Priyaranjan Purkait (b. 1984, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal) completed his Master of Fine Arts from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, and his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Indian College of Art & Draftsmanship. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Calcutta. He lives and works in Kolkata.Purkait’s practice draws from the visual and cultural traditions of Bengal while engaging with contemporary questions of human existence, resilience, and transformation. Informed by his training in Kalighat painting at the Indian Museum, Kolkata, his works navigate the intersection of inherited artistic traditions and contemporary image-making. Through a distinctive visual language, he explores the psychological and symbolic dimensions of everyday life, often reflecting on themes of survival, memory, and collective experience.
In 2024, he presented his solo exhibition, The Will To Live, curated by Sibdas Dasgupta, at Gallery Dotwalk in New Delhi. His recent exhibitions include presentations at India Art Fair (2025), Imperial Silhouettes at Rizq Art Initiative, Abu Dhabi (2025), and Deep Interiors at the State Art Gallery, Hyderabad (2025). A recipient of the Abir India Award (2021) and the National Lalit Kala Akademi Grand Scholarship (2015–16), Purkait has also received multiple awards from the Rajya Charukala Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata. His work has been featured in exhibitions at CIMA, Birla Academy of Art & Culture, and Emami Art.
As time passes, our likes and dislikes change, be it in the case of clothing or daily-use materials. All these materials undergo structural changes over time so that they stay relevant in modern times. Among all these daily-use stuff, I have chosen yarn material such as cotton bags, clothing, fishing nets etc. as the subjects of my works. The process that goes behind making of these materials, are different. Weaving of the bag is different, cloth weaving is different and fishing nets are made in different way. Their visualisation is pretty different too and I try to capture these differences in my works.
I was born and brought up in a remote village in Sundarbans. My childhood memories are woven in fishing nets. I used to see my father making fishing nets, progressing slowly with one thread after another. Structures of small and big fishing nets are quite different. The method of weaving fishing nets has greatly motivated me which is the subject of my present body of work.
I use paper, water colour, acrylic colours and 3D liner in my works. With 3D liner, I create different types of textures that look like a fishing net, woollen sweater or cotton clothing. I try to give the feeling of softness with colour. I draw the contents of the works with water colour or acrylic. Minimal colour and white space are accorded high degree of importance in my works
Academics
Graduation from Indian College of Art & Draftsmanship, Kolkata.
Post graduation from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata.
Exhibitions
Group Exhibitions:
“IMAGINARIUM 2.O”, All India Open Call Award And Exhibition, Emami Art in 2022.
National Exhibition of Art in 2019 & 2020.
“REKINDLED SPIRIT”, Bikaner House in 2022.
Gallery Gold in 2018.
Rajya Charukala Academy in 2015, 2016, 2018 & 2019.
Birla Academy Art & Culture in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2022.
“Goa Art fest”, Museum of Goa in 2017-18.
“Abir First Take”, in 2017.
CIMA Award Show in 2015.
CIMA summer show in 2015.
CIMA Art Fair in 2015 & 2016.
State level Academy in 2015.
Lalit kala Akademy, Regional center, Kolkata in 2016 & 2017.
The Nandalal Bose Gallery, I.C.C.R in 2013 & 2017.
Academy of Fine Art in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015 & 2017.
Academy of Fine Art in 2010, 2011 & 2015.
Rabindra Bharati University in 2012 & 2013.
Birla Akademy of Art & Culture in 2012.
Rani Rasmoni House in 2013.
Camlin in 2011.
Hello Heritage, in 2010.
College Exhibition in 2005 & 2007.
Awards
Abir India Award in 2021.
Grand Scholarship by Lalitkala Akademy in 2015 & 2016.
Merit, Rajya Chrukala Akademy in 2015, 2018, 2019 & 2022.
Merit, Academy of fine Art in 2015.
Sunayani Devi Medha Britty in 2012.
College Award in 2007.
